Sierra Club’s lobbyist Dave Cullen tells me that this session of the Dave says we can stop HB 991 if Sierra Club members and supporters all take action immediately and call our state senators!
HB 991 is a polluter’s dream come true. It provides for dredging in
the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve, exempts phosphate mining from the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) process, and expedites wetlands destruction permitting for an inland port in the Everglades Agricultural Area.
the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve, exempts phosphate mining from the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) process, and expedites wetlands destruction permitting for an inland port in the Everglades Agricultural Area.
On top of all that, it shifts the burden of proof to any citizen who challenges a license, permit, or conceptual approval and deprives them of due process at the same time!
Heard enough? Well, it’s hard to believe, but this bill could get even worse!
The bill’s backers are cutting and pasting it into every piece of bad environmental legislation they can find. Potential targets include an agriculture bill that would allow the wholesale leveling of wetlands for “agricultural purposes” and a bill that allows port dredging without requiring a permit for the spoil site.
Call your Senators (see list below) immediately and urge them to oppose HB 991. Talking points are included at the very end of this message.
Your action can make the difference between a state we can live in and a state that’s sold out from under us.
Sincerely,
Frank Jackalone
Senior Organizing Manager - FL & PR
Sierra Club
District State Senator Phone #
01 | ||
02 | Greg Evers, Greg | |
03 | Charles Dean | |
04 | Don Gaetz | |
05 | Stephen Wise | |
06 | Bill Montford | |
07 | Evelyn Lynn | |
08 | John Thrasher | |
09 | Andy Gardiner | |
10 | Ronda Storms | |
11 | Mike Fasano | |
12 | Jim Norman | |
13 | Dennis Jones | |
14 | Steve Oelrich | |
15 | Paula Dockery | |
16 | Jack Latvala | |
17 | JD Alexander | |
18 | Arthenia Joyner | |
19 | Gary Siplin | |
20 | Alan Hays | |
21 | Michael "Mike" Bennett | |
22 | David Simmons | |
23 | Nancy Detert | |
24 | Thad Altman | |
25 | Ellyn Bogdanoff | |
26 | Mike Haridopolos | |
27 | Lizbeth Benacquisto | |
28 | Joe Negron | |
29 | Christopher Smith | |
30 | Maria Sachs | |
31 | Eleanor Sobel | |
32 | Jeremy Ring | |
33 | Oscar Braynon | |
34 | ||
35 | Gwen Margolis | |
36 | Miguel Diaz de la Portilla | |
37 | Garrett Richter | |
38 | Anitere Flores | |
39 | Larcenia Bullard | |
40 | Rene Garcia |
- Please oppose HB 991 and any attempt to bring it to the Senate floor. The companion legislation, SB 1404, was never heard in committee.
- HB 991 would allow dredging in the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserve and would allow spoil to be disposed of without a permit.
- Phosphate mines would be exempted from the Development of Regional Impact process which has worked successfully for decades. Elimination of Phosphate Mining from DRI review will cripple local governments’ ability to review the potential impacts to land, water and endangered species before approving these large scale mining operations.
- It does not serve the interests of Florida’s communities to limit their ability to evaluate permit applications.
- The bill’s “zone of discharge” rule that permits groundwater contamination all the way down to the base of the aquifer and out to the property line is completely irresponsible.
- Please oppose bringing HB 991 or any amendments based on this bill to the Senate floor.
